Comments on: Why Haiti is not New Orleans

By: New Orleans is not Haiti

New Orleans is not Haiti — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:12:14 +0000

[...] there the superficial similarity ends. Says John McQuaid, such a comparison is wrong-headed: This is a dangerous comparison not only because Haiti is not [...]

By: Haiti Earthquake News & Aid – Updated | India News Blog, Latest News From India, Latest Blogs From India

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:56:08 +0000

[...] John McQuaid | Why Haiti Is Not New Orleans: “Hurricane Katrina and the Haitian earthquake are fundamentally different. That many people [...]

By: lblumenfeld

lblumenfeld — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:14:26 +0000

John: Thanks so much for posting this and making that clarification. It’s good to see that many —Amy Wilentz, others — are beginning to call out many commentators for the embedded racism and dangerous arrogance of their coverage (esp. David Brooks’s hateful column).
While your comments are central to an understanding of the distinctions between Haiti post-earthquake and NOLA post-K, it is meaningful to note the similarities of coverage in mass media and of underlying attitudes. Also, it’s worth noting that both places have proudly defiant cultures that retain Africanisms and the memory of slave trade.

By: John McQuaid

John McQuaid — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:06:03 +0000

Yes, there were school buses. But no drivers.

By: Angeliska Gazette › Prions pour Haïti

Angeliska Gazette › Prions pour Haïti — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:05:01 +0000

[...] Why Haiti is not New Orleans [...]

By: tmack1

tmack1 — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:22:17 +0000

Actually, Yes. Nagin had plenty of time to put the poor on those school buses that later ended up under water. I remember the press conference he had when he was asked why he didn’t use the school buses to take the poor out of New Orleans and his response was “those buses don’t have bathrooms on them. You tell the bus companies to get out here right now.”
Ah, great leadership in action.
Hey, nice try though. It will help you later when you blame George Bush after Obama’s continuance of Bush’s policies fail in ajbect misery. Complete economic collapse. And it was all Bush’s fault. Which would be half right, but leaves out the fact that the big O has given more money to the banks, sent 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan. Two party system?
More like one party system owned by Goldman Sachs.

By: Shortbus

Shortbus — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:53:45 +0000

It took 5 days to get water to the Superdome…

By: andylevinson

andylevinson — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:15:33 +0000

Actually FEMA exists because America’s private sector pays for it……when is someone going to recognize Joe and Jose Private sector taxpayer?

By: John McQuaid

John McQuaid — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:29:22 +0000

Actually, no.

Nagin’s biggest error was failing to have a plan in place to evacuate people without transport. That was a horrible mistake that cost many people their lives. But there was very little he could have done after the storm hit. He had virtually no police force, very limited communication, no other resources.

When a disaster on the scale of Katrina occurs, only the federal government can muster the resources to rescue people, provide shelter and food, and clean up afterwards. This is not an ideological issue, it is simply a logistical fact of life. You will find no one in government familiar with these issues or among the emergency management community who disagrees. That’s why FEMA exists, because states and localities cannot mobilize sufficient people/supplies to deal with massive disasters. So after Katrina hit, the ball was in Bush’s court, and he, DHS and FEMA dropped it.

By: andylevinson

andylevinson — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:17:45 +0000

The AP reports:But there was still little sign of any aid in parts of the capital four days after the quake, and scattered signs that the desperate

What’s going on here….and obama is going off to campaign for some loser sunday as people die trapped under tons of concrete

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake